As the summer wanes, and our clients return from honeymoons, we receive a lot of inquiries about what to do with the wedding dress or sari.
EJP Events is an authorized dealer for the Wedding Gown Preservation Company, and we have had great results with them. You don't have to have had your wedding coordinated by us to take advantage of this service.
The gowns are expertly cleaned and wrinkles removed. Repairs can be done and additional items such as veil, train, and shoes can be cleaned and included in the box underneath a divider, in their own individual acid=free archival boxes.
Here is an example photo of a gown after the cleaning and archiving process in its archival storage box:
If you are interested in having your gown preserved and you can make it to our location in Portland, Oregon, email info@ejpevents.com and we'll take care of you!
Although the bulk of outdoor Oregon weddings have not yet begun, winter lovebirds are still heading out to beachy climates to get married. The question of how to pack your wedding gown comes up a lot!
Always check with your airline first for specific packing restrictions. Here are some tips from one of our gown specialists:
"You will not be able to use the standard length bridal gown bag as carry on luggage. It is too long, and too easily torn. Place your gown inside an FAA-approved garment bag instead. For instance, US Airways states that wedding gowns must be in garment bags no longer than 54" long. You are then expected to fold that bag in half to fit it into the overhead compartment. If you are lucky, the flight attendant might allow you to hang the garment bag in the first class closet (cross your fingers that your flight attendant has a soft spot for brides). But don't count on it.
It is not only your wedding gown that you should make plans for – your accessories are also very important. Pack your shoes, headpiece/veil/or tiara, and other accoutrements into a carry-on bag. With all the limitations these days, you may have to ask your partner to take your bag as their one carry-on item (remember, you also have the garment bag). Another option is to pack your gown and accessories together into one carry-on bag. I know it is terrible to think of cramming your beloved dress into a tiny bag, but you will need to have it professionally pressed when you arrive at your destination anyway. Be sure to keep your wedding jewelry in your purse."
If you have a wedding planner or coordinator, you could ask them to make arrangements to have your gown pressed or steamed (the seamstress will look at each item's fabric type, and decide the best way). In Portland, we do this through our partners at The Bridal Loft. If you are heading straight to your wedding location from the airport, your destination wedding planner or coordinator should offer the service of meeting you on your arrival day at the airport and getting the bridal gown, bridesmaids gowns, tuxedos or suits from you at that time and taking them to be pressed or steamed.
For so many couples, the food is the THE most important part of the wedding celebration. I often hear from them: "The food HAS to be good"…"We like the Portland food scene and want to integrate it into our wedding"…"We want to give our guests a taste of Portland and the Pacific Northwest". Often, they already have a caterer in mind when they start their venue search, and are challenged when they keep running into venues that have strict exclusive lists.
That got me to thinking. What Portland wedding and event venues allow outside catering? Here are just a few. Know any others? Please share in the comments below!
The Red Rose Ballroom – We've recently done several weddings at this very sweet space on NE Alberta St with great results. This vintage 1920's ballroom can hold up to 200 guests at round tables and features gorgeous finished hardwood floors to dance the night away, a stage for your DJ or band, a built-in bar, and a sound system. There's even a mezzanine level for guests to use during cocktails or just for relaxing and watching the party.
The Eliot Center – The Eliot Center is the "fellowship hall" aspect of the downtown First Unitarian Church. Not only are they able to seat up to 160 in their conference center for a reception, the adjoining Historic Eliot Chapel can seat up to 250 in a beautiful, elegant chapel setting for a wedding ceremony. They allow self-catering, outside caterers, and alcohol service in accordance with their policies.
Multnomah Arts Center – Located in SW Portland just a few minutes from downtown, the MAC is a Portland Parks and Recreation community center venue with a large auditorium and stage for indoor wedding ceremonies that can be changed over to a reception during a cocktail hour. Mingle areas include a dance studio and an outdoor plaza, which can also be used for ceremonies. All rental rooms, including the auditorium stage, and bathrooms are ADA-accessible and air-conditioned. In addition, most spaces have free Wi-Fi access.
The Glenn and Viola Walters Arts and Cultural Center is near and dear to our hearts, as one of our favorite recent weddings just took place there. The site features a large auditorium for ceremony and reception, downstairs classrooms to use as changing areas, a ground-floor lobby and an upstairs art gallery where guests can mingle during a room changeover. The kitchen facility is well-appointed and convenient for self-catering or your own caterer. The outdoor plaza can also be used for ceremonies.
The Laurelhurst Club – A 100-year-old property adjoining Laurelhurst park in SE Portland, this venue features an historic ballroom, mezzanine bar, kitchen facilities, bride's and grooms rooms, and outdoor ceremony lawn.
NW Events & Environments – By far the largest open catering venue we have seen, NW Events & Environments can accommodate 650 in a banquet setting and over 1000 if using multiple rooms in a reception-style flow. They do not allow outside alcohol, and kitchen facilities may have limitations.
Thanks for reading – if you found this post about Portland wedding and event venues helpful, you might also like:
We were invited to two fun holiday open houses by a couple of our favorite vendors, and we just have to share! Geranium Lake Flowers is hosting a cookie exchange party and 20% off sale, while Event Cosmetics will be doing a "Party in the Penthouse" at their Da:Da Salon location. Both events are this Thursday, December 11th. Click the pictures above for exact details!
Holiday open houses are great ways to check out potential vendors for your wedding and get a little shopping done at the same time. Hope you enjoy!
Transportation is always an issue when you have a wedding with any out-of-towners. Pick a popular Portland-area destination like Hood River, and things get even more complicated. Who picks people up at the airport? How do we get them to the hotel? I just stumbled across Tesla Trips, based out of Hood River, and it looks like we have another great option that is eco-friendly and super stylish!
Tesla Trips offers PDX Airport-to-Hood-River Shuttle, as well as special event and wedding town car tranpsortation. If you have guests who want to pop out for a little winery trip or Gorge Tour during the wedding weekend, they can handle that too.
Not in Hood River? Prestige Limousine, our neighbors right over on NE Broadway, also have a Tesla Model S Electric Luxury Sedan available to get you to the wedding in style.
Either way, whether your wedding is in Portland or Hood River, you have a fun, stylish, eco-friendly and luxurious option for wedding or guest transport.
As always, Local Love posts are fun spotlights of stuff we at Portland Wedding Coordinator think you, the reader, will enjoy. No compensation was received for this spotlight. If you know of something fun we should be blogging about, please let us know at info@ejpevents.com.
In the news: coming March 2015, commercial compost programs in Portland will no longer accept disposable dishware labeled as “compostable”, such as “corn plastic” and the like. From Sustainable Business Oregon:
“Food-selling organizations like the Portland Trail Blazers have their work cut for them following a major change to Portland’s commercial compost program that drops the ability to compost containers and other non-food items.”
So-labeled “compostable” plastic dishware is also not permitted in Portland’s residential program, so in our area, it simply doesn’t make sense to purchase or use those types of foodware for any reason, even an event or wedding. It’s just going to go in the landfill.
It is a bit of a disappointment to see this feature dropped from Portland’s commercial compost program. Many special event caterers, food trucks at parties, and wedding caterers will be affected as well. However, with all challenges come an opportunity — all of us will be challenged and encouraged to decrease waste and move away from any kind of disposables, compostable or not.
